A 32-year-old man from Vaujours has been indicted in Nancy over a cryptocurrency wrench attack targeting a couple at their home. Three men allegedly posed as police officers to assault the victims and attempted to steal the husband's €20,000 crypto holdings after obtaining personal information from a January data breach at French crypto tax platform Waltio. The attack is part of a series of crypto-related violent incidents in France, prompting French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to pledge a security meeting with cryptocurrency business leaders.
32-Year-Old Indicted on Multiple Charges in Nancy
The 32-year-old man from Vaujours (Seine-Saint-Denis) has been indicted in Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle) and charged with attempted extortion with a weapon, attempted kidnapping by an organized gang, and conspiracy to commit a crime. According to Le Parisien, the attack saw a 45-year-old woman accosted outside her apartment. Both she and her husband were "brutally beaten" after he came outside to investigate the noise. The would-be robbers fled after the couple's daughters called police from inside the house.
Police recovered plastic zip ties and a €5 euro note left by the attackers. Witnesses described the attackers as having been armed with an Uzi submachine gun.
Waltio Data Breach Exposed 50,000 Users in January
The attack came after the husband's €20,000 crypto holdings were exposed following a January data breach at French crypto tax reporting platform Waltio. The breach revealed email addresses, 2024 trading gains and losses, and cryptocurrency balances for approximately 50,000 users. The hackers responsible attempted to extort Waltio before selling the stolen data.
In the aftermath of the data breach, Waltio warned that attackers could pose as fake customer services, police officers and security services to carry out phishing attempts and scams. "The attackers use the fact that they know your email address and an approximate estimate of your assets to gain credibility," the platform noted.
France Records Multiple Crypto Wrench Attacks Including Ledger Co-Founder Kidnapping
The Nancy attack is the latest in a series of crypto-related assaults in France, including the kidnapping and mutilation of Ledger co-founder David Balland, an armed home invasion, the abduction of a magistrate and her mother, and a kidnap attempt targeting the wife of "The Sandbox" co-founder Sébastien Borget.
The attackers' methods bear similarities to a March case in which three fake police officers held a couple at knifepoint, forcing them to transfer $1 million in Bitcoin. Eric Larchevêque, Balland's business partner, condemned what he called the "Mexicanisation" of France in the face of the authorities' failure to address the spate of crypto kidnappings.
Phil Ariss, Director of UK Public Sector Relations at TRM Labs, called wrench attacks a "natural evolution of criminal behavior," explaining that "Criminal groups already comfortable with using violence to achieve their goals were always likely to migrate to crypto."
French Interior Minister Pledges Security Meeting with Crypto Leaders
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau pledged to convene cryptocurrency business leaders at the interior ministry to "work with them on their security." In April, French authorities charged 88 suspects, including minors, across 12 active judicial investigations into crypto kidnappings.
Physical attacks on cryptocurrency holders—known as "wrench attacks"—have escalated globally alongside digital crimes. In the U.S., Remy St. Felix received a 47-year prison sentence in September 2024 for leading a violent crypto home-invasion ring—the longest sentence in any U.S. cryptocurrency case. Ukrainian police officers allegedly kidnapped crypto entrepreneurs to extort millions, while three suspects face charges for a California wrench attack spree.
FAQ
What happened in the Nancy crypto wrench attack?
Three men allegedly posed as police officers to attack a couple at their Nancy home, attempting to steal €20,000 in cryptocurrency. A 32-year-old man from Vaujours has been indicted and charged with attempted extortion with a weapon, attempted kidnapping by an organized gang, and conspiracy to commit a crime. The couple was brutally beaten but the attackers fled after the couple's daughters called police.
How did the attackers obtain the victims' information?
The attackers obtained the couple's personal information from a January data breach at French crypto tax platform Waltio. The breach exposed email addresses, 2024 trading gains and losses, and cryptocurrency balances for approximately 50,000 users. The hackers attempted to extort Waltio before selling the stolen data.
What actions has the French government taken regarding crypto wrench attacks?
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau pledged to convene cryptocurrency business leaders at the interior ministry to work on security measures. In April, French authorities charged 88 suspects, including minors, across 12 active judicial investigations into crypto kidnappings.
